The Happiest Day of My Mission

Yesterday, November 12, 2011 at 11:00, two wonderful people were baptized...Catherine Herbst and her son, Justin. There are no words to describe the joy I felt seeing them come up out of the waters of baptism, new people who are as clean and pure as the day they were born. A new life and a new start...they were glowing. You have to be older and have heard and seen a lot of people's life stories to appreciate just what it means to have your sins and guilt washed away...to be truly repentant and forgiven...to have hope that you can have a different life from the one before, especially if you have been a victim of abuse or have made poor choices. Change, purity and happiness are a real hope and I am grateful for this precious gift for each of them, all made possible by Heavenly Father's Plan of Happiness and Redemption, and the Savior's role in accomplishing the love and mercy of the Atonement. After the baptism we took Catherine and Justin, Elder Nelson and Elder Salomonson, and Rahab Bola who was going out with the missionaries, to Hibachi Grill Buffett for a celebration Luncheon. Elder Nelson is an exemplary missionary. In a matter of fact way he said in response to the conversation at our table, that there is not one day of his mission he would live over --that he has given his best every day. It is the "two years to serve, and the rest of your life to think about it" mentality....no regrets. Saturday was a glorious day and one I will cherish always.

The Week in Review

Another one of our Career Workshop candidates found work....but it has been a long two months of hard work on Sasha's part. She got her dream job through networking as the workshop teaches since it is the number one way people get jobs....hand offs! So thrilled for her and appreciative of her saying that learning there are methodical steps a job seeker has to take to find that job made the difference for her. Laurinda found a part time job, Pamela got school funding through the DOL's Workforce Investment Act....my first referral and she actually received money! We reworked Bola Bosomba's resume and wrote a nice cover letter and....he has an interview MOnday morning. This is a man who is working on his second MA degree --this one in Public Health. He is from the Democratic Republic of Congo and there worked for the government in the Dept. of Family Services educating families on the prevention, cause and treatment of HIV/AIDS. He once saw a man in the final stages of AIDS who was convinced that he was ill because of evil spirits and was seeking a cure through a tattoo. This had been Bola's motivation to do something about educating his people. We worked up a Curriculum Vitae for an internship with W.H.O. so he can be actively involved in that work once more. Sister Peterson missed two days of work as she was very sick with a cold but is starting to mend. I received special Heavenly help Friday evening and it went like this (from my journal): Sister P has been sick the last two days and I stayed after work a bit to make a phone call and to print some things out, when the phone rang. It was Daryl, my supervisor, saying he had left his coat in his office. He asked how long I planned to be there and I said as long as he needed me to, so he called his wife to see if she could pick up his coat on her way home from work, but I am supposing she had already left for home, since Daryl said he would be driving back to get it and would be there in about an hour. I suggested I meet him halfway, which we did as he was almost to Alabama. I said a prayer and asked for protection, to be able to find the meeting spot (the GPS was with Sister P) and to return home safely. It was bumper to bumper traffic going and coming, but I found the right exit and met them just fine. On the highway heading home with the traffic still heavy I saw out of the corner of my eye a car moving right into my lane. I screamed and instinctively moved into the left lane without even looking. Fortunately, Heavenly Father was protecting me as no one was in that lane to the left or I would have been sandwiched. So grateful...I am still saying prayers of thanks. Saturday morning I was cleaning toilets at the church and in walks Bola to mop the floors behind me! I gave him a big hug and then met his wife, Balonda, who was standing behind him. It's such a great life with all of these good people around you to go through life with! The best for last....Catherine and Justin and the missionaries met at our apartment for lunch and two discussions so they can have their last one Tuesday before their baptismal interviews on Thursday with the Zone Leaders, then their baptisms on Saturday at 11:00. Much credit has to go to Elder Nelson who has his own story to tell, but who is my hero. He genuinely loves the people, knows the scriptures like the back of his hand, and brings the spirit to the discussions. He is also exactly obedient. One Saturday C & J and the elders were invited to our apartment for lunch and a discussion and were to be here at 2:00. The elders were here on time, but C & J were held up for an hour. Elder Nelson and his companion stood on the porch on a chilly day until C & J arrived because the mission rule is: If there is a woman in the house but no male age 12 or older, the elders may not enter, even if the two women are missionaries and old enough to be his grandmother! We would never ask them in knowing the rule, and they were content to be on the porch while we stood in the doorway and made our plans for the discussion. Obedience yields power! I also have to give some credit to Mormon.org. Catherine said to me when she arrived that on the way over Justin said that he was not ready to commit to baptism and needed more time to think about it. I had my laptop on the counter and was listening to MoTab and had the screen on lds.org. Elder Nelson clicked on Mormon.org, and I suggested he show Justin the video clip of Kevin, the professional skateboarder who is also the son of a single mom and....a Mormon. Justin seemed very surprised that a skateboarder (as he is too) could be a good Mormon. Justin had said before that he didn't feel like he fit in. He also watched a segment on a professional female world champion surfer...she too a Mormon, naturally. Next thing we know, Justin is committing to baptism and gave a beautiful closing prayer. I feel so incredibly blessed to know these two wonderful people who are about to be blessed beyond their wildest expectations...joy for each of them. This is why I am a missionary.

Keep Up, Sister Mitchell, Keep Up

The great news is that our investigators are progressing towards their baptismal date of November 12th. We were traveling to another stake today but were happy to hear Catherine and Justin were at church and introduced to a new family. She texted me and said it was a beautiful day at church and she enjoyed the hugs. The Patriarch and his wife spoke, and his remarks on Patriarchal Blessings really resonated with Justin who wants to get one. Elder Nelson assures him that he can after he is baptized. We are praying for him tonight as he is at a Halloween Party with his friends...his old friends with old habits. Also, along investigator lines, Lorena is a non member who took our Workshop this past week. At one point she read from the D&C and then during the break asked for a copy of the book. When Sister P got her a BoM, she said, she preferred the Doctrine and Covenants because she liked how they write. She also asked it was possible to visit our church as she likes the feeling at the ERC....she likes how the people are treated and looked after. She said it is different here. So....we are skipping a Sunday of travel and are going to take her to the ward she would be attending were she a member of the church.
We have started our ward/branch visits to the Powder Springs Stake and will be on the road six of the next seven Sundays. The big plus this time is that the Stake Employment Specialist is the former Stake President who we are accompanying on these visits. We love having the priesthood smooth our way and give us counsel. We also have a two day Career Workshop we will be teaching in the Fayetteville Stake a week from Tuesday, and then another in the PS Stake the first week in December. We four missionaries in the office are also putting our heads together to see what we can do further to help our non professional candidates get jobs. The interviews are not coming, so we had a brainstorming session a week ago, have been pondering, and now will come together again to see what we can come up with. We are considering a mini job fair....
It is interesting that my two most discouraged candidates both have Masters Degrees in English....but no hard skills. They are both working to remedy that with a series of computer classes.
Halloween in tomorrow night and I am thinking of all my favorite little ghosties and goblins who will be trick-or-treating tomorrow night back in Washington, Oregon. and Utah. I love and miss them all.

Bits and Pieces

One of our candidates learned about the principle of fasting, and applied it for the first time in her life as she is discouraged about not being able to find work. She has a Masters Degree and is a fledgling author. She fasted a week ago Saturday, and last week we found her a part-time job that just happened to come across my desk. She is one of the three ladies who has accepted an invitation from us to attend Gladys Knight's Fireside next month.
On our way to the temple Friday at 4:00 -- we were going as an office -- Sister P hit the curb of a tight round about and knew instantly there was a problem. Two men came running as they heard a loud noise, which we didn't hear, and knew someone was in trouble. Toung changed the tire, which had a 2x4 inch hole in it, and then Rick, who was riding a bike, led us to the Chevron he has been frequenting for 32 years. We were on a side road, so were very grateful these two knights in shining armor were there to help. Rick thought we were nuns!
I received a letter this week from Adomas Riauka, my 80 something second cousin of sorts in Lithuania. Tomorrow I will scan the letter at work and send it to my computer so google can translate it for me. He sent me a picture of him and his son at the grave of his dear Janine, along with a small wooden ornament -- a shirt with Lietuva written on it (Lithuania). Chad said he would go with me to visit him after my mission. Sigita, a professional genealogist in Lithuania found the marriage record of my maternal great grandparents, so now sealings can take place. It has been a long search over many years, and I am most grateful.
The weather is turning rainy so now instead of walking each evening, we are going to the exercise room where I am using the recumbent bike and Sister P is using the treadmill.
Today, one of our candidates overslept and missed attending church with us, which she very much enjoys and feels she needs. Every Sunday for the last four weeks a challenge has presented itself resulting in her not coming....we discussed how Satan operates like this. She gave her copy of the Book of Mormon to her son, so she has requested another for her. She has been listening to the "Woman at the Well" CD and feels a great uplift from the messages.
One candidate I am working with called me during church and left a voice mail saying there was an article in the Atlanta Journal Constitution on Mormons that she thought I might be interested in! She has taken an interest in the I'm A Mormon ads....now if she will take an interested in becoming one herself.
Last night at Dr. Basra's invitation we attended the G6 Summit, a concert of ancient Sikh music performed by musicians from six countries. One goal of the Sikh religion is to promote brotherhood and peace throughout the world. Very simply stated, I could see where my Sikh friends could be transported (their words) by the music and lyrics, but since the words were Punjabi, I could only sense devotion. I thought of the significance of the Lord's design for the gospel's going forth to every people in their native tongue.
It is going to be difficult for me to return to the Tri-Cities and see nothing but white faced people after coming to love and appreciate the goodness of my special friends who come from many different cultures and persuasions.

Ethiopian Festival

A week ago Saturday we attended an Ethiopian Festival on our way back from President and Sister Satterfield's. Sister Peterson is working with Abby Makonnen who is wearing the white dress, and I am working with her husband, David. David is a Quality Assurance Engineer who for the last four years has been working at a warehouse. Several Fridays ago he showed up for work and his key card would not work. Welcome to the new pink slip! I met him several hours later when he came to the Employment Center to start the job search process all over again. The Ethiopian Community built a church several years ago, but with the downturn in the economy and many of them losing their jobs, they are having trouble paying the mortgage, so they hold fund raisers like this to help out. The next day they were holding a talent show, but the proceeds were ear-marked for Ethiopia to help the people there. David and I had a nice gospel discussion...he is an orthodox Christian.

These Ethiopian ladies are carding wool the old fashioned way. Notice neither of them are wearing glasses!

President and Sister Satterfield

Saturday before last President and Sister Satterfield took several hours out of their busy mission life to host a bar-b-que for the senior couples in our mission, plus Sister Peterson and I who are the only single sisters serving here. President and Sister S. have only nine short months remaining before they return home to Pocatello, Idaho and to five children, all of whom live within a few blocks of them. It has been a privilege to be at several zone conferences and see first hand the absolute love and devotion this wonderful couple has to those young missionaries in their charge. They lose sleep over them much as they would their own children.


Part of the festivities that afternoon included being part of a golf cart caravan (three) riding for an hour and a half the paths of Peachtree City. The city was designed by three Delta Air Line pilots and it is beautiful. The paths are wide enough for two golf carts to pass each other. You need a map to navigate the paths. Everyone drives golf carts to work, shopping, church, etc. If you drive by the highschool you will see golf carts, not cars filling the parking lots as kids do not need a license to drive a golf card so long as they stay on the paths. Pictured with is are Elder and Sister Gibson who are assigned to our Employment Center with us. They are delightful! Sister S. told us to wear jackets on the trail as it gets cool whizzing along....so I minded, but took off my jacket later on as the weather was especially nice. The paths were virtually deserted as there was an Air Show being held that afternoon, so you know where all the Delta people were!

Our Dr. Tejpal Singh Basra

Dr. Basra invited us one last time to a Sikh service as he will most likely leave this week for his new job in Virginia. He specifically wanted the picture taken so that the G6 poster in the background, advertising an International Music Night, could be seen We aim to please. Also that evening we met the lovely and gracious Prabhjot Kaur, a retired principal from Punjab who is here visiting her son and his family, welcoming her first grandson/grandchild. She taught English most of her career and sent her children to Christian Schools. Her husband is a Civil Engineer, her son is a physician and her daughter-in-law is a computer engineer. In the course of our conversation I mentioned that we were missionaries for the Church of Jesus Christ of Latter Day Saints and asked if she knew any LDS people. She said there was a church down from her home and they went there every Christmas. She has written articles on women in Sikh religion, so I think I must send her Daughters In My Kingdom. I think she'd appreciate it, don't you? The Sikhs are kind loving people who feel it is their mission to establish the brotherhood of man. They would all make equally lovely Mormons, and Dr. Basra would make a very effective missionary!